Your Moving Out Checklist

Summer means not only the end of the regular academic year but also often the end of students’ housing leases. The process of moving out is often a lot more work than moving in. With moving in, your belongings are packed (and hopefully organized) and need to be unpacked into their new home.

With moving out, however, it’s a process of figuring out what you will and won’t be taking to your next space, figuring out how to pack it and transport it to your next space, and doing all of the process in a timely, somewhat organized fashion.

Make the moving out process as painless as possible with the checklist below.

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1) Clear the clutter

Before having to make the harder decisions of what possessions to keep or part with, jumpstart the moving out process by clearing out clutter you don’t even need. Start with your study space. Throw away class assignments or file away notes you’ll need in a future class. Separate the textbooks you can use again and the ones that you can resell to your campus bookstore, Chegg, Amazon, or other students through Facebook or Uloop.

Clear out those nooks and crannies you often forget about: behind furniture pieces you never move, beneath your bed, on the top shelves of your wardrobe or closet. You’d be surprised at how many unused napkins, loose leaf papers, and excess gum wrappers you can find just in your own living space. Clearing out the clutter as the first step of your moving out process will make it easier.

2) Evaluate your new space

The number of belongings you need to pack for the move can change drastically depending on the conditions of your next living space. Are you going from living in a single room to a triple? Is your room going to be significantly smaller than your current living space?

This step is necessary but often forgotten. There is no point in going to great lengths to make sure every possession is packed and transported to your new living space, only to realize only half of it can actually stay due to a lack of space.

If you are going to have to downsize due to a lack of space, consider your options. Sell and donate belongings you don’t necessarily need after your move. Get a storage unit if you can’t part with certain belongings but still can’t find space for them (or if your parents are nice enough, send belongings back home for free and temporary storage).

3) Separate what you’ll take and what you’ll leave

This step may be easier if you have already done some serious spring cleaning. It can also be the hardest, especially if you know you are going to have to downgrade the amount of stuff you own because your next living space is smaller than your current living space.

Start with your closet. A good tip to follow is to not keep any clothing item you wouldn’t buy on the rack if you were to be shopping right now. If a sweater has been in the same position — balled up on the top shelf of your wardrobe — all year, chances are it won’t see the light of day in your next living space too.

When you decide what clothes you want to part with, you can sell them on places like Depop or Facebook pages meant for college students to sell and buy belongings. If you could care less about making a few extra dollars in the moving process, donate your clothes; many organizations on campus host clothing drives knowing people that are moving are clearing out their closets.

Get rid of broken appliances that you were too lazy to throw out this past year. The malfunctioning vacuum that does more harm than good? Throw it out and buy another when it comes time for back-to-college specials or when other students are selling theirs as they move out of their own apartments. The bean bag that is never used? Sell it for some extra cash to buy something that you will be using in your next living space.

4) Pack it up — and don’t forget to label

One of the biggest mistakes someone can make in their moving process is throwing belongings into boxes without a second thought. When they get to unpacking said boxes, it gets a bit hectic when they’re looking for an extension cord in a pile of unmarked boxes.

Try to pack things in categories. Clothes go into suitcases and boxes. All your bedding goes into a box. School supplies into another box. Make sure to label every box, and if you have the time and patience, get specific with the labels, listing exactly what each box holds so unpacking is as simple as possible.

When packing, make sure you have the necessities as the most accessible. Put all of your cleaning supplies in one box you know you’ll be able to get to right away. Chances are, you won’t be moving into a perfectly clean living space and you will definitely want to wipe down every surface the best you can. If you plan on taking your time unpacking, make sure you can also easily get to a change of clothes, your toiletries to wash up, and towels.